National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) filed suit against KT&G and the Korean subsidiaries of Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco to recover health costs associated with treating smokers, the Korean Herald said.

NHIS is seeking the equivalent of nearly USD 52 million (EUR 37.4 million) for medical costs from 2003 to 2012, the newspaper said on its website. NHIS reportedly said it would try to increase the amount of compensation sought as the lawsuit proceeds.
Japan Tobacco International, initially a defendant, was excluded because its market share was not as large as the other three, said unnamed officials cited by the Herald.